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0 Executive Summary
Training is any planned activity to transfer or modify knowledge, skills, and attitudes through
learning experiences. Personnel may require training for a variety of reasons, including the need
to maintain levels of competence and respond to the demands of changing circumstances and
new approaches and technologies. Training by itself cannot solve structural, organizational, or
policy problems within an organization, although supportive supervision and the use of
motivational strategies can help sustain performance improvement derived from training.
1.1 The training of personnel for airline reservation agent clerks can be divided into four major
objectives which is:
1. Increase knowledge about the special considerations related to reservation and booking
systems
2. Improve attitudes about the importance of customer service, thus improving the
environment for change
3. Build and strengthen skills in the specific tasks to be completed for efficient functioning of
the reservation and airline booking system
4. Improve work behavior, so that people function better at assigned activities and fulfill their
potential
The goal of these objectives is to increase access to quality booking and reservations products
and services. Training should address the needs of three levels of personnel, because it takes all
three groups to effect sustainable change which is:
1. Policy makers, who are responsible for creating the environment needed for improved
reservation and booking management
2. Midlevel managers, who are responsible for planning and supervising activities required
in the management and application of airline reservations
3. Line or operations-level personnel, who are responsible for carrying out the work of
reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks
A job as an Airline Reservation Agent falls under the broader career category of Reservation and
Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks. Airline reservations agents help customers’
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book flights on major airlines. When customers call to make reservations, agents enter the
destination and desired date and time into the airline's computer system. It locates available
flights and the best connections if more than one flight is necessary. It also determines the cost of
the flights. Agents relay this information to customers and help them find the right itinerary for
their needs. When the customers have chosen flights, the agents book the reservations. They take
the customers' names, telephone numbers, and credit card information. Agents also apply any
discounts or upgrades for which the customers may be eligible and help them choose seats and
types of meals, if available. They also provide information about airport security and baggage
requirements. Sometimes they provide information about hotels and rental cars. Reservation
agents typically work in customer service call centers. Because many travel companies offer 24-
hour booking services, an agent may be required to work evening, overnight or weekend hours.
Most of their work is limited to telephone conversations, so reservations agents have little
personal contact with passengers. Agents usually work forty-hour weeks, which may include
night and weekend shifts. They usually work in large offices as well.
1.1 Job duties of airline reservation clerk
Airline Reservations Clerks, also referred to as ticket or reservation agents, are responsible for
printing boarding passes, arranging seat reservations, and preparing luggage for travelers. This is
also a huge area of customer service within the travel industry. Airline reservation agents
typically work in an office environment outside of the airport for a specific airline. They take
calls and answer questions about airline regulations, help customers make travel plans, and work
with computers to resolve problems. They make and confirm reservations for transportation or
lodging, or sell transportation tickets. The clerk also may check baggage and direct passengers to
designated concourse, pier, or track; deliver tickets, contact individuals and groups to inform
them of package tours; or provide tourists with travel or transportation information. Additionally,
reservation agents could be involved in other stages of travel such as offering competitive prices,
giving suggestions for accommodations and car rentals, and booking flights for travelers. Process
all reservation requests from customers. Besides that, they provide clerical support to the
reservation staff. They are responsible to change or cancel reservations at the request of
customers. Their responsibilities also includes answering and responding to customers on
reservation inquiries. Apart from that, reservation agents deals with receiving reservation orders
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through phone, fax or email. They also need to provide reservation services to guests and visitors
in a hotel setting. Reservation clerk also in charge of maintaining and managing a log book for
reservation activities. In addition, they need to ensure fulfillment of needs and requirements of
guests who obtained prior reservations. They also need to instruct and communicate to guests,
visitors and customers on corporate policies and regulations. Last but not least, reservation
agents need to ensure comfort to guests and customers through reservation services.
1.2 Instructional design
The first step in the design of training involves an assessment of training needs. The assessment
comprises:
• Observing workers performing normal duties
• Interviewing workers and others
• Studying routine reports or performance reviews, along with job descriptions
• Identifying performance problems
The second step involves defining the training program’s learning objectives. The learning
objectives, which are derived from the needs assessment, specify the observable, measurable
actions that each learner will be able to demonstrate as a result of participating in the training
activities.
The third step is the creation and implementation of a training program to improve performance,
taking into account the experience and educational levels of the personnel and the time and
resources available for training. Options range from short courses to long-term placements in
academic institutions in the country, in the region, or overseas, and non–classroom-based
interventions, such as on-the-job training, coaching, and mentoring. All options must be weighed
against the immediate operational needs of the program or institution, because facilities may not
have enough personnel to operate when staff members go for training.
The learning outcomes that must be achieved, along with the training environment, audience
characteristics, and the experience of the trainer, all determine the mix of learning methods and
media that will achieve maximum effectiveness. Methods and media may include lecture,
discussion, case study, role-playing, group exercise, simulation games, brainstorming, and
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demonstration. If no published training materials including audiovisual aids are available, the
trainer must develop them.
Development of the training program also includes design of the training evaluation, which is
carried out during the course as well as at its conclusion. During the course, trainers monitor
learner progress and satisfaction to identify where they may need to make adjustments to the
training program. At the end of the course, trainers should collect data on how well the learners
achieved the course objectives and how satisfied they were with the training experience.
Whenever possible, the trainer should follow up with participants after they return to their work
situations to assess the impact of training on performance. Data collected during follow-up can
help identify the need for additional training or reinforcement of newly acquired skills, as well as
inform review and revision of the training materials. In some countries, availability of basic
training and continuous professional development programs is limited; therefore, many airlines
reservation clerk lack access to formal training opportunities and new ideas and approaches that
can improve their work performance. Well-designed in-service training programs can help fill
this need. Training alone is often not sufficient to change behaviour or improve performance.
Improved performance, changed attitudes, and new skills acquired during training may need to
be complemented by and maintained through continuing education, supportive supervision, and
adequate motivational incentives. In many cases, structural changes, such as workspace
improvements and increased access to supplies and equipment may be needed to support
improved performance.
1.3 Training Program for Airline Reservation Clerk
The reservation clerks look up the requested information on our airline’s online flight schedule
system, which is updated continuously. The reservation clerk must deal courteously and
expeditiously with the customer and be able to find alternative flight arrangements quickly in
order to provide the customer with the itinerary that fits his or her needs. Alternative flights and
prices must be found quickly, so that the customer is not kept waiting and so that our
reservations operations group maintains its efficiency standards. It is often necessary to look
under various routings, since there may be a dozen or more alternative routes between the
customer’s starting point and destination. You may assume that we just hired 30 new clerks, and
that you must create a 3-day training program. Airline reservation clerks obviously need
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numerous skills to perform their jobs. This major airline has asked you to develop the outline of
a training program for its new reservation clerks. You may want to start by listing the job’s main
duties. In any case, please produce the requested training program outline, making sure to be
very specific about what you want to teach the new clerks and what methods and aids you
suggest using to train them.
The training program has been designed by using the following steps:
First is need assessment. A training needs assessment and a pre-training knowledge and skills
assessment are required to help plan an effective training program. The needs assessment should
encompass the overall working environment, including the supervisory structure and the level of
employee motivation. Airline reservation clerk training will be effective only if all areas of the
reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks system are assessed frankly and
carefully. A knowledge and skills assessment evaluates the participants’ level of prior
knowledge, as well as previous training and experience, in the area of interest. The results of this
assessment are used to develop the training learning objectives, and ultimately, the content.
Methods for assessing training needs are outlined below. The optimal method depends on the
goals of the assessment and the cadre of the individuals being assessed. A knowledge assessment
can be based on observation of a worker performing routine duties. This review uncovers both
strengths and weaknesses, but the presence of an observer may influence the behavior observed.
For example, a clerk doing a booking for a customer is likely to be more thorough than usual if
someone is watching. Specific training needs can be determined more clearly by using well-
established indicators, such as those on performance monitoring and evaluation. Therefore,
before the duties of airline reservation clerk is outline as below:
1. Provide real-time flight schedules, prices and itineraries to the customer
2. Provide alternative flight arrangements in order to provide the customer with the itinerary
that best fits his or her needs.
3. Deal with the customers courteously and expeditiously.
4. Quick retrieval of flight schedules and information so that the customer is not kept
waiting.
5. Help the reservation operations group maintain high efficiency standards.
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6. Provide the best routing among a list of available routings between the customer’s
starting point and his/her destination.
7. Check baggage and direct passenger to designated location for loading.
8. Answer enquiries made to travel agencies and airlines.
9. Assemble tickets for mailing to customers.
10. Provide assistance for boarding flights and intimate changes in schedule.
Interviews with supervisors, administrators, users of services, and workers can help determine
where performance problems might exist and what skills need to be taught or improved. If
workers fear reprisals from management, reassurances about confidentiality of information will
be necessary to obtain good data. In some situations, a training needs analysis can be done by
conducting a group interview in which the staff are invited to identify competencies in terms of
knowledge, attitudes, and skills. Staff members rate themselves on a graph in relation to each of
a set of competencies. Exit interviews with workers leaving their jobs can also be useful. Finally,
interviews with users of the services can help in assessing levels of satisfaction. Analyses of job
and task descriptions may reveal special training needs. Self-administered, anonymous
questionnaires for both managers and workers can also be valuable.
Several types of reports are useful needs assessment tools:
Organizational reports, for an overview of the performance of the organization and
personnel
External evaluation or appraisal reports, for an out- sider’s view of the organization and
its training needs (and performance)
Annual or semiannual performance reviews
The foundation for instructional design was laid during World War II when hundreds of
thousands needed to be taught very specific tasks in a short amount of time. Individual aspects of
these complex tasks were broken down, so soldiers could better understand and comprehend
each step of the process. This approach was later taken and built upon leading to the
development of instructional design, a field of study that marries education, psychology and
communications to create the most effective teaching plans for specific groups of students. This
is vital because it ensures that students receive instructions in a form that is effective and
meaningful to them, helping them better understand the topics and concepts being taught.
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Simply put, instructional design is the creation of instructional materials. Though, this field goes
beyond simply creating teaching materials, it carefully considers how students learn and what
materials and methods will most effectively help individuals achieve their academic goals. The
principles of instructional design consider how educational tools should be designed, created and
delivered to any learning group, from grade school students to adult employees across all
industry sectors. Instructional designers create and deliver educational and training materials to
learners from all walks of life in a variety of ways. They work with traditional paper materials,
such as handouts and manuals, as well as eLearning technologies and multimedia. Their work
can be seen in elementary and secondary schools to universities and adult training facilities.
They're also found outside the academic sector in a range of industries including health care,
retail and the military. Justin Ferriman, eLearning consultant, even goes as far as stating that,
"Every company needs an instructional designer on their staff."
For the corporate sector, instructional design plays an integral role that many do not often see.
When new training programs are introduced within companies, instructional designers are the
ones that systematically collect, process and analysis data, determining if employees were
properly educated on the new topics introduced. If an area of the training doesn’t meet the
previously set standards, then it’s an instructional designer’s duty to revamp the course to help
make sure that learners are able to understand the topics down the road. This process helps
ensure that companies are working efficiently and using their resources wisely.
Instructional designers often work as part of a team, but their importance can't be overestimated.
Consider an eLearning course for example. An instructional designer will play a part in
developing this course, along with a multimedia designer, eLearning developer and a quality
assurance employee. Despite being one of many involved, studies suggest the instructional
designer will be responsible for 30 to 40 percent of the project's success. Therefore, instructional
design for reservation clerks is designed as follow:
1. To make the new hires acquainted with the key objectives of the company.
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2. Inform them about the benefits and company guidelines.
3. Provide a hands-on demo for the airline reservation process.
4. Basic etiquettes to deal with customers.
5. Provide expertise related to retrieving the best possible flight reservation as per the
customer needs.
6. Troubleshooting unforeseen problems.
There are two basic approaches to implementing a training program: one is centered on the
trainer, who controls learning contents and experiences; the other is centered on the learner, with
the trainer acting as a guide and providing resources. This approach assumes that people are able
and willing to learn if they are given the proper materials in an atmosphere that is conducive to
learning. This method is preferred because it is participatory, learners’ experiences are shared,
and participants have more freedom to learn at their own speed.
An important aspect to include in a training package is follow-up support to the participants and
evaluation of the training outcome. This support, which should be included in the training
budget, may be in the form of supervision, coaching, mentoring, setting up a network support
group, or simply providing a source of ongoing information. Follow-up activities may be
conducted in person but may also be provided by telephone or e-mail. Thus, the training will be
provided through the following on the job training:
i. Hands on.
ii. Through job simulation.
1.4 Evaluating the training program
Monitoring and evaluation to assess the performance and progress of the participants is one of
the trainer’s key roles. These assessments should be done as formative evaluations while the
course is in progress which is for midcourse adjustments and fine-tuning, as summative
evaluations at the end of the course that aims to make the course better in the future, and as
periodic follow-ups after the training is over to monitor outcomes and assess the continuing
performance of the trainees. The training outcomes should be measurable, performance-based,
and directly related to the objectives of the training program. For example, if the goal of the
training is for the participants to be able to plan and manage customer trip, a relevant outcome
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measure would be the completion of this activity within a reasonable time frame. One of the
tools that can be use is Kirkpatrick's Four-Level Training Evaluation Model. Donald Kirkpatrick,
former Professor Emeritus at the University of Wisconsin, first published his model in 1959. He
updated it in 1975, and again in 1993, when he published his best-known work, "Evaluating
Training Programs." Each successive level of the model represents a more precise measure of the
effectiveness of a training program. The four levels are Reaction, Learning, Behavior, and
Results. By analyzing each level, the trainer can gain an understanding of how effective a
training initiative was, and how to improve it in the future. Finally, in training, formative
assessment is important, because the aim of the course is to improve performance, not to grade
the participants. The trainer can help them learn more quickly and more completely by providing
them with constructive criticism during the course. The trainer can also use the feedback from
evaluations to adjust the content and methods of the training to better meet participants’ needs.
(3004 words)
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